Lita Ford Biography
Lita Rossanna Ford, 19 September 1958, Streatham, London, England. Raised in Long Beach, California, USA, Ford was one of the original members of the Kim Fowley-conceived Runaways, first joining the band in 1975. In 1980, a disagreement within the ranks over musical direction led to the Runaways' break-up, leaving Ford to explore a solo career on the US glam-metal circuit (initially subsidized by her day job as a beautician). Her debut album was recorded for Mercury Records with the assistance of Neil Merryweather on bass, though it was Ford's guitar playing that took centre stage. 1984's Dancin' On The Edge made a minor impact on the US album charts, reaching number 66, although it was a less slick collection. Almost four years later in 1988 came Lita. Housed on RCA Records (a third album for MCA, The Bride Wore Black, had been abandoned), it reached the Top 30 and spawned the US number 12 hit, "Kiss Me Deadly" (April 1988), plus a Top 10 hit with a duet with Ozzy Osbourne, "Close My Eyes Forever' (March 1989). Ford later married W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, although the marriage did not last. Stiletto continued to display Ford's commitment to the formula rock format prevalent in the USA, but she left RCA following disappointing sales for 1991"s Dangerous Curves. Her subsequent studio album, Black, appeared on the ZYX label in 1995. The album featured backing vocals from her new husband, Jim Gillette, with whom Ford later formed the band Rumble Culture. The couple's son was born in May 1997 and Ford has subsequently devoted her time to motherhood, although she did record a new studio track for inclusion on the 2000 live album Greatest Hits Live.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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